Her fist pulverized the rock where Jhon had been standing.
Jhon landed on another rock farther away. His mind was racing as he dodged, analyzing every one of Marvel's movements.
This time he stayed still, planting his feet firmly. His horns glowed intensely as he concentrated Wakfu in his hands.
Marvel accelerated toward him, her red eyes fixed, mouth wide open.
"These are the damn threads I wanted to see you use, you bitch! HAHAHAHA!" he roared like a madman, grinning wildly at Marvel. She seemed to get even angrier and came in faster.
When she was three meters away, Jhon thrust both hands forward and hundreds of razor-thin lines of concentrated Wakfu shot from his palms, as fine as threads but blazing with intensity.
Ikaris came streaking in at high speed from where he'd been knocked back, ready to capitalize.
The lines spread in every direction in less than a second, forming a three-dimensional web in the air.
Marvel flew straight into them.
Some snapped on contact with her body, but there were too many. They tangled around her arms, legs, torso, neck. For the first time since the chase began, she stopped.
"GRRAAAAAH!" Marvel roared, thrashing violently.
Jhon materialized a Wakfu sword in his right hand. He poured more energy into it, compressing it until the blade was unbelievably dense. Blue energy crackled around it.
He teleported directly behind Marvel, sword already swinging, slashing at her neck with everything he had.
CLANG
The blade bounced off her skin like it had hit adamantium. Not even a scratch.
Marvel seized the moment and began snapping more lines with every passing second. The sound of Wakfu tearing echoed everywhere, building tension in the air.
"Damn it."
Jhon instantly created distance. He couldn't let her land a single hit; one punch and he'd be paste.
He opened a portal in front of him and teleported forty meters to the left. 'This damn zombie is too tough; I can't hit her directly.' His mind raced, watching to see if the Eternal would attack him at the same time.
CRACK
The last lines snapped and Marvel was free, spinning in mid-air to find him.
Right then, Ikaris struck.
FWOOOOOM
Two cosmic-energy beams as thick as tree trunks shot from his eyes straight at Marvel's back.
BOOOOM
Marvel was hurled forward like a cannonball, smashing through three rock formations before crashing into a mountain and carving out a massive crater.
Jhon watched Ikaris, who hovered in his original position. The Eternal didn't look at him; he kept his eyes locked on where Marvel had fallen.
Realizing he apparently wasn't a target, an idea formed in Jhon's mind.
Marvel burst out of the crater, angrier than hurt. Ikaris's attack had burned part of her suit and charred her skin, but she was still moving.
"Grrraaah… kiiiill…" she growled.
She charged at Jhon again, but he kept teleporting ten meters left, dodging continuously.
Marvel instantly adjusted her trajectory.
Jhon opened a massive five-meter portal right in her path, and Marvel flew through it without being able to stop.
At the same time, another portal appeared behind Ikaris.
Marvel shot out at full speed—straight into the Eternal's back.
Ikaris sensed her and spun around, eyes blazing.
FWOOOM
He fired point-blank. Marvel took the beam to the chest, but her momentum was too great.
BOOM
They collided mid-air, trading blows as they spun. Clouds scattered and the impacts shook the sky. The sound boomed like thunder everywhere.
After the clash they broke apart to attack again—Ikaris left, her right. Realizing what the human had done, Ikaris turned his gaze on him. His eyes began gathering cosmic energy like a natural disaster.
FWOOOM
He fired at Jhon, who grinned because the plan worked. He opened a portal in front of himself that swallowed the beam.
Another portal appeared behind Marvel.
FWOOOM
The beam blasted out and hit her in the back, making her roar in frustration.
Jhon started moving more aggressively. His body flickered translucent from the speed of his teleportation; only the cyan blue of Wakfu was visible in the sky.
He formed a sword in each hand and teleported to Marvel. With dizzying precision he appeared above her and slashed both blades at her head. The edges bounced off, but the impact jerked her head down, throwing her off balance.
Ikaris fired.
FWOOOM
This time the shot hit Marvel in the side, hurling her into a rock formation.
Marvel smashed straight through the rock without slowing. The damage they were dealing each other made the entire valley quake.
Seeing her launched and Ikaris flying after her, Jhon landed on a distant rock, breathing hard. His body felt numb from the adrenaline; staying alert to every move didn't let him rest for a second.
But he quickly refocused and looked ahead. His white shirt was completely shredded. His pants were scorched in places but still held together.
He materialized five baseball-sized Wakfu spheres around him. He pumped them full of energy until they glowed blindingly, vibrating with barely contained power.
Marvel rose from the rubble, small rocks scattering everywhere. She was more damaged now. With primal rage she charged again—faster than before.
Jhon waited. When she was twenty meters away, he hurled all five spheres straight at her.
Marvel barreled through them, ignoring them.
Jhon clenched his fist.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
The explosions detonated simultaneously, overlapping. A sphere of blue fire lit up the entire valley. The shockwave rattled mountains.
Jhon threw up a shield around himself because he knew the blast would engulf him—and it did. He was hurled backward, gritting his teeth. He opened a portal just before impact and appeared on the ground, rolling dozens of meters.
He staggered to his feet, his muscled body battered by debris, but Wakfu was already slowly healing him. His hair hung loose down his back to his shoulders, freed during the fight.
He stared intently at where Marvel had been.
The smoke cleared slowly, as if building suspense.
Marvel was on the ground. One knee down, breathing heavily. Suit destroyed, skin charred in multiple places, exposing burned muscle and bone in her left arm. Part of her hair burned away, face disfigured.
But she slowly rose, bones cracking.
"Grrrhh… raaaghh… hrrraaauuuh" she growled.
Then Marvel did something unexpected. She shot upward, gaining altitude fast. She reached nearly 100 meters, then spun and dove straight down.
This time she wrapped herself in a golden aura, her body blazing with near-infinite energy. Binary mode.
The speed was insane.
WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH
Jhon teleported countless times, fleeing. 'Shit! I forgot about that mode!' he cursed inwardly. The bitch was right behind him with her mouth wide open.
Right now he needed speed; Marvel wouldn't let him stand still—she adjusted instantly with every teleport, chasing him like a cat after a mouse.
He spotted Ikaris fifty meters away, charging energy in his eyes like a machine, skin peeling off. The beams were brighter than ever.
Knowing that if the chase continued he'd die horribly, Jhon made a decision.
WOOSH
He teleported directly in front of Ikaris—five meters ahead, right in the line of fire.
Marvel was coming from behind, Binary mode leaving a golden trail.
Ikaris's eyes flashed blindingly.
FWOOOOOOOM
He unleashed the most powerful beam of the entire fight.
Jhon created the largest portal he'd ever made—an eight-meter-wide disk in front of him.
The beam went in. Another portal appeared in Marvel's path, and at that exact moment—the beam shot out.
FWOOOOOOOM
Marvel, in supersonic Binary mode, slammed head-first into the beam.
BOOOOOOOOOOM
The explosion was blinding. A sphere of golden-yellow energy vaporized everything within a hundred meters. Mountains shook violently.
Jhon was flung backward like a rag doll. He opened a portal on instinct and managed to appear on the ground, but the momentum didn't stop—he kept tumbling violently across the dirt. He crashed into a rock and felt something crack in his side.
"Agh…" He clutched his ribs, knowing a few were probably broken.
He laughed weakly, blood staining his teeth, then forced himself upright.
….
Elsewhere.
While Jhon fought believing the three survivors were already on their way to the base, they had done exactly the opposite.
"We have to go help him!" Kamala shouted, leaning out the moving truck's window. She watched the streaks of blue energy darting through the clouds—she knew it was Jhon—and clenched her fists in worry.
She turned to Kate and Riri. "He could die!"
"KAMALA!" Riri snapped back, clearly annoyed by her insistence. Kamala was shocked; they never yelled at each other.
"We can't go back—a fight that big would kill us instantly! Understand!" Riri finished with a sigh. For her, getting the transmitter to the base was priority. She didn't dislike Jhon, but she didn't trust him after just two hours. She wasn't like her friends who always let emotions lead. If they had, they'd be dead long ago.
So from the start she'd been skeptical about his wish-granting power; she only kept it as a backup plan if they couldn't deliver the transmitter. It wasn't her main option.
Kate silently agreed with Riri that it was too dangerous, but she didn't want to fight her friends, so she stayed quiet. If asked whether she wanted to help him, she'd definitely say yes. She didn't want any more humans to die—not when so few were left. Especially not someone she actually liked.
"I know it's dangerous. I know we could die. But I also know he went to distract them for us. And if he can do that, I can go help him too." Kamala replied to Riri, more serious than she'd ever been. Her bangles flared uncontrollably.
"Kamala, seriously—you can't!" Riri yelled again. They were already a considerable distance away; if Kamala jumped out now, it would take too long to get back. Jhon might already be dead and she'd just be running to her own grave.
"I don't remember asking for your permission, Riri," said the future Ms. Marvel with conviction. The two up front were stunned; usually submissive Kamala was making her own decisions now.
Still, she wasn't cruel. Sighing, she added: "I'm not forcing you to come. I know it's dangerous. But I simply can't just sit here and do nothing. You two go deliver the transmitter to the base. I'm going with him. Oh… and I love you guys." With that, she moved to the door, flung it open, and leapt out. Her powers kicked in instantly, creating crystalline platforms under her feet so she could run through the air.
"Shit!" Riri cursed, slamming the steering wheel as she watched her go. She immediately braked hard.
"We have to go with her," Kate said beside her, looking at her bow and remembering why she'd started training in the first place. "We can't leave her alone," she finished softly.
"You too?" Riri was incredulous. Had everyone lost their minds? Did they think they were Superman? Did they not realize a stray rock would turn them into paste?
"It's not about Jhon," Kate stated before Riri could speak. "It's about our friend. We can't just abandon her." She met Riri's eyes.
"Damn it!" Riri hit the wheel again, making the horn blare. She sighed and looked in the direction Kamala had gone. "Fine." With that, she whipped the truck around with a screech and floored it toward their friend and the guy who'd apparently stolen their brains.
….
Unaware of who was heading his way.
Jhon forced his gaze toward the explosion while Wakfu slowly healed him.
The smoke cleared, revealing the figure he was looking for.
Marvel was on the ground, lying in a crater, body smoking. Left arm charred to the bone. Parts of her torso exposed ribs. Face unrecognizable.
But she was still moving. Fingers twitching. Legs trembling.
Slowly, painfully, Marvel began to rise.
"Huuungryyyy…" she groaned weakly.
Jhon narrowed his eyes, thinking of any other plan to finish off that yellow bitch.
Then his perception and hearing caught something approaching fast, making him turn.
BRUUUUM-BRUUUUM
A motorcycle was speeding toward him.
A Harley specifically; it skidded to a stop thirty meters away, kicking up dust.
The rider dismounted. An African-American man in dark leather with white details. Sword on his back glowing with silver light. Eyes completely white.
Blade.
The Avatar of Khonshu surveyed the scene without a word. He drew his sword, which flared brighter under the moon.
Marvel roared, her charred body preparing one last desperate attack. Her red eyes still blazed with insatiable hunger despite all the damage.
Jhon took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his ribs.
Back in the truck, using his perception, he'd sensed the man heading toward the valley.
Considering he was an avatar of a god, Jhon figured he knew about the transmitter—so his help was practically divine intervention.
Still, he knew Blade, no matter how skilled, wouldn't last ten seconds in direct combat against Marvel. So he needed to immobilize her completely.
His horns flared brighter than ever before. Wakfu poured from his body in massive quantities, making the air around him visibly vibrate.
"Listen," he said without taking his eyes off Marvel. "When I've got her, move fast. You won't get another chance."
Blade gave a slight nod, fingers tightening on his sword hilt.
Jhon spread both arms wide. Lines of Wakfu burst from his palms—but not like before. These were thicker, denser, and absurdly numerous. Hundreds—no, thousands of blue energy threads shot out in every direction, forming a massive three-dimensional net spanning nearly 100 meters.
But he didn't stop there.
His eyes began overflowing with pure Wakfu, blue energy tears streaming down his cheeks like he was crying light. And from his torso—chest, abs, sides—blue lines appeared, glowing intensely. Veins of pure energy coursing over his body.
Every line—from his hands and his torso—shot toward Marvel at once.
The sound was deafening, like a thousand whips cracking the air simultaneously.
Marvel tried to dodge, but there were too many. The threads hit her from every possible angle: above, below, left, right, diagonals.
They wrapped around every part of her body. Her arms were yanked outward. Her legs forced apart. Dozens coiled around her neck. Even her fingers were individually pinned.
"GRRRAAAAAAHHH!" Marvel roared, straining with all her superhuman strength.
Ikaris was about to dive in and take advantage while she was held—but he couldn't. At that moment he felt a greater force restraining him too.
Back with Marvel, some threads snapped, but they were instantly replaced by more. Jhon never stopped generating them, his body shaking from the massive effort.
Marvel hung suspended in the air, completely motionless. Limbs spread in an X, unable to move a centimeter. The threads glowed fiercely, holding her with a force not even her power could overcome.
"HAHAHAHA!" Jhon laughed, blue tears in his eyes as he saw her helpless.
"NOW!" he shouted, blood starting to drip from his nose from the strain.
Blade needed no further invitation.
He didn't run—he simply vanished from where he stood and reappeared directly in front of Marvel in under a second, speed unimaginable.
His moon-blessed sword plunged through Marvel's chest with perfect precision—straight into where her heart should be.
The blade, consecrated by a god, pierced the skin that had resisted everything else.
SHHHHINK
Marvel's eyes shot wide. Her mouth opened in a silent scream.
Silver light from the sword spread from the wound, racing through her body like luminous cracks. Her skin began to fracture, light pouring from every fissure.
"Rest," Blade said in a monotone voice, emotionless.
And then Marvel exploded into silver ashes that scattered on the wind.
The Wakfu threads vanished instantly. Jhon dropped to his knees, panting heavily, sweat and blood covering his face. His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to stay conscious.
Blade wiped his sword in one fluid motion and sheathed it. He walked toward Jhon with measured steps.
"Good work," he said simply, offering a hand.
Jhon took it and pulled himself up, wiping the blood from his nose. "Same to you. That sword of yours is impressive."
"Gift from my patron," Blade replied, his white eyes studying Jhon. "You're stronger than you look, human. That blue energy… it's anything but normal."
"Nothing's normal lately," Jhon smiled, offering no further explanation.
They stood in silence for a moment, catching their breath.
Then they both felt it.
A presence. Powerful. Watching from above.
They turned at the same time.
Ikaris hovered fifty meters up, staring down at them. His eyes no longer blazed with rage, but the power was undeniable.
After feeling someone restraining him, he'd been about to lose it again, but the force vanished with Marvel's death, freeing him.
He descended slowly until he was ten meters away, landing softly. His gaze shifted between Jhon and Blade, lingering longer on the former.
Silence stretched, tense.
Jhon knew he had to do something or die. He had to play on the Eternal's pain, strike where it hurt most.
So he took a deep breath, and something changed in him. 'Alright, here we go again.'
His posture straightened despite the exhaustion. His battle-crazed expression turned… serene. An elegant smile formed on his lips, different from the wild one before.
When he spoke, his voice was different—softer, more suggestive.
"Tell me, Eternal," said Jhon Desire, locking eyes with him. "Do you have a wish?"
Ikaris's eyes flared instantly, glowing a threatening yellow. Cosmic energy began gathering.
"Are you mocking me, human?" His voice was low, dangerous.
Jhon raised his hands peacefully, smile never fading. "No. It's a power I possess. The power to grant wishes. All you have to do is wish, and it will be granted."
Blade beside him frowned, hand instinctively moving toward his sword.
And then the air shifted.
A presence materialized behind Blade. A figure wrapped in white bandages with a bird skull for a head. Khonshu, the moon god, visible only to Blade… and apparently to Jhon too, who turned his head slightly toward the god.
"Interesting," Khonshu's ancient, powerful voice echoed. "I didn't know such a power existed."
Ikaris noticed Jhon looking at… nothing. Or at something he couldn't see. His eyes narrowed.
Then he stared straight at Jhon, searching for deception. He found none. Only sincerity.
"I want her back," he finally said, voice thick with barely contained emotion for the first time.
"Who, Eternal?" Jhon asked, though he already knew. "Who do you want back?" His voice echoed in Ikaris's mind like a reminder of his failure.
"SERSI!" the Eternal roared, the shout generating shockwaves that shook the air and kicked up dust. His control shattered for a moment, raw pain spilling out. "I want Sersi back. My Sersi. Before… before she…"
He couldn't finish.
Jhon's smile widened, this time with genuine warmth.
"Granted."
SNAP
The snap of his fingers echoed unnaturally.
And then Jhon felt it—like a tsunami of concentrated pleasure crashing over him.
Power. Immense power flooded into him like a tidal wave. His body grew vastly stronger, faster, tougher. He felt like he could fly, shoot energy from his eyes—every single power of the mightiest Eternal.
Yet he knew Ikaris wasn't human, so he wasn't sure how the process would work.
That's when information flooded his mind. A smile spread across his lips. Apparently, instead of turning directly into a Celestial-made android, he could adopt an Eternal form—without the damn space giant's control.
He was glad he'd come here after all. So he met Ikaris's eyes directly.
"She's in the exact same place she was before her death," he informed calmly. "Alive. Whole. No memory of the… incident."
Ikaris stared at him for long seconds. Then his eyes flared dangerously, cosmic energy building.
"I hope you're telling the truth, human," he said, voice low and threatening. "If not, I will hunt you for all eternity. There'll be no place in this world you can hide from me."
Jhon just winked confidently. "Check for yourself. Go."
Internally he was laughing. 'As if you could find me in my dimension. Not even crying to your Celestial daddy would help.'
Ikaris stared a moment longer, then shot into the sky at supersonic speed, leaving a golden energy trail. In seconds he was gone.
Silence returned to the valley.
Only Jhon and Blade remained.
The Avatar of Khonshu turned fully toward Jhon, silver eyes studying him for any hint of deception about the "wish." If there was any, they'd be dead in under five minutes. He found nothing.
"So," Jhon said casually, as if he didn't know, "who exactly are you?"
"Blade," came the simple reply. "Avatar of Khonshu, god of the Moon."
Jhon rubbed his chin, looking deep in thought. Genuine curiosity crossed his face.
"A god, huh…" he murmured. Then his eyes focused on a spot behind Blade where the bandaged figure still stood. "So that's what's standing next to you."
Blade visibly tensed, shocked.
Khonshu reacted too. His bird skull tilted slightly, empty eyes fixing on Jhon with interest.
"Ask him if he can see me." Khonshu ordered Blade, voice echoing only in his avatar's mind.
"Can you see him?" Blade asked, hand still near his sword.
"No," Jhon admitted honestly. "But I can feel… something. A presence. Very strong."
"Ask if it has to do with that blue energy," Khonshu pressed, now fully intrigued.
Blade repeated the question.
"Maybe?" Jhon shrugged, inwardly cursing. He knew he couldn't play mysterious now; he had to say something to satisfy a god's curiosity. "Wakfu is the energy of life. Maybe it lets me sense the existence of other powerful beings, even if I can't see them directly."
Khonshu fell silent, processing. If that energy was what he claimed, it might be connected to the counterpart of death. That would explain "reviving" someone even without a soul.
Jhon changed the subject, smile returning. "Anyway, tell me, Blade… what do you wish for?"
Blade narrowed his eyes for a long moment, then answered without hesitation:
"Let the apocalypse end."
Jhon scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Ah… I can't grant that yet. I used up most of the emotions I'd accumulated keeping the Eternal from targeting and killing us all. Something that big needs… well, a lot more."
"Emotions?" Blade repeated, confused.
"Yeah," Jhon nodded. "That's my main power source. Emotions people feel toward me or in my presence. The stronger they are, the more power I can accumulate to grant bigger wishes."
Khonshu stepped closer to Blade; the size difference was stark.
"Tell him something," the god ordered his avatar. "I want to see what happens. Ask for something smaller."
Blade obeyed. "I want stronger swords."
"Details," Jhon said, crossing his arms. He hoped this would satisfy the damn god's curiosity and let him set some "limits."
Blade thought for a moment, then glanced toward where he knew Khonshu stood. "What's the strongest metal in the universe?"
"Uru," Khonshu answered instantly. "The metal of Asgard's gods. The stuff Mjolnir was forged from."
"Uru," Blade repeated to Jhon. "The metal of Asgard. I want twin swords made of Uru, 90 centimeters long each, double-edged. Leather-wrapped hilts. Perfectly balanced for dual-wielding."
Jhon smiled. "Granted."
SNAP
Jhon felt a shift in his body—this one weaker than the last, but he kept his face neutral.
As he snapped, a blue light flashed in front of Blade. When it faded, two magnificent swords floated in the air. Identical, blades shimmering with a silvery luster that seemed to contain galaxies. The edges were perfect, almost hypnotic.
Blade took one in each hand.
The weight was perfect. The balance flawless. He could feel the transcendent power in the metal.
"Impressive," he murmured, testing a cut. The air hissed.
Khonshu watched with empty eyes, genuinely surprised. "That really is Uru. I can feel its essence. That shouldn't be possible… unless…"
The god stepped closer to Jhon, studying him intensely.
"Ask if he has any limit besides emotions," Khonshu ordered, voice now serious.
"Do you have any limit besides emotions?" Blade asked, sheathing one sword and holding the other.
Jhon nodded, aware it was really the god asking. He didn't want unnecessary immortal enemies.
"Yes. I can't grant wishes without enough accumulated emotional energy, as I said. And those wishes can't be something far stronger than I currently am. There are… barriers. If I try to grant something beyond my current capacity, it simply doesn't work. Or worse, it could kill me. The Eternal woman wasn't truly dead—she was inert. No soul to revive."
Khonshu was silent for a long moment. He knew that was true; Eternals have no souls—their only purpose was to safeguard a Celestial's birth. That ruled out any connection to the goddess of life. It also ruled out wishing for freedom. Still, one thing amused him greatly.
Maybe the mortal's recklessness, maybe how interesting it would have been to watch.
To Blade's surprise, the god laughed—a deep, emotion-filled laugh he rarely felt.
"He got lucky," Khonshu said, only Blade hearing as he wiped an imaginary tear from his empty eyes. "He got lucky that woman had no soul. If she'd had one and he'd tried to revive her… it wouldn't be a Celestial coming for him. It would be Death herself. And she doesn't forgive those who play in her domain."
Then he looked at Blade. "Don't tell him about Death." And vanished.
A chill ran down Blade's spine. Months ago he was just slicing vampires in half—when did he go from street-level to universal-level threats? He was numb.
Suddenly—
"JHOOON!" A shout from above made Jhon look up, confused. He recognized the voice but refused to believe it. No one could be that reckless.
But he wasn't wrong about who it was.
BOOM
Something fell from the sky at high speed, impacting the ground.
Dust and smoke rose, momentarily hiding the figure.
When it cleared, Kamala stood there looking around frantically, cosmic-energy shields on both arms. "Come and get me, you damn zombies!" she yelled a battle cry, searching for Jhon.
Until she saw him ten meters away, staring at her with a deadpan look. Unscathed. Strong. And sexy. She froze, mortified.
(....)
-----------------
Hello. Here's chapter 13.
Please comment and give power stones.
See you next time.